Unexpected Occurrences
by Xx Meisha xX
Summary: A compilation of one-shots that have nothing to do with each other. AsuCaga Chapter 3: Athrun really wasn't surprised when Dearka wrecked his car. But nothing compares to a drive through town with this fiery girl.
1. Contents

**Meisha:**

Hi there! Thanks for checking out 'Unexpected Occurrences'.  
Basically this is going to be a series of one-shots about the characters/couples in Gundam Seed. The one-shots are unrelated to each other and they're AU.  
You can expect that most of them will revolve around AsuCaga, but I'm always open to new ideas.

Please review to let me know your thoughts, especially if you think my writing has improved during subsequent chapters. It means a lot!

Enjoy

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.::. Chapters .::.

**Chapter 1**  
Pairing: AsuCaga  
Summary: After her plans get canceled, Cagalli is forced to spend some time with an unwelcome visitor. Can a simple call from Athrun be used to her advantage?**  
**

**Chapter 2**  
Pairing: AsuCaga  
Summary: Cagalli has loathed the dentist's office ever since that horrible event. After convincing herself she will never have contact with another psychotic dentist, she is all but ecstatic to learn her _dear_ brother has made an appointment for a consultation about her wisdom teeth. Still, she's not about to give in so easily. Can this freshly graduated oral surgeon calm her down and get the task accomplished?

**Chapter 3**  
Pairing: AsuCaga  
Summary: Athrun really wasn't surprised when Dearka wrecked his car. But being stranded in a café and receiving messages from an obsessive sales rep can drive anyone crazy. Still, nothing amounts to the enigmatic experience of driving through town with this hot-tempered girl.


	2. Chapter 1

**Archerygurl:**

The following story is my first attempt at an AsuCaga one-shot.

Initially I was simply going to leave this story as it is.  
However, recently I've come up with a bunch of random ideas and situations that I would like to put my favorite Gundam Seed pair into.

Any and all reviews are loved!

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**.::. Unexpected Occurrences .::.  
AsuCaga  
**

**Summary:** After her plans get canceled, Cagalli is forced to spend some time with an unwelcome visitor. Can a simple call from Athrun be used to her advantage?

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Cagalli stared at herself in the mirror.

No, she wasn't one to usually do such a thing. But some things just can't be helped. She crinkled her nose but convinced herself that she didn't look _that _bad. It sure had been a long time since she had worn anything like this, though. Maybe her 7th birthday? Wow, had it really been ten years? Cagalli shook her head before looking at herself from head to toe for the nth time. Her hair was tied up by a baby blue ribbon. Just below her collar bone hung a stunning necklace that resembled a sapphire under the right light. And of course, she was in a beautiful sky blue sun dress, which fell just below her knees. Yes, Cagalli Yula Athha, Ms. Tomboy who refused to be caught dead in a dress, was wearing a dress. The blonde sighed and recalled why she was going through with this.

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_The phone rang. _

_Cagalli ignored it. _

_It rang again. _

_She ignored it again. _

_It stopped ringing. She smiled and curled up into a ball under her warm blanket._

_The phone rang again. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping that somehow it would realize she didn't want to answer. But… it refused to stop._

_"Argh!" Cagalli yelled bolting up and grabbing her cell phone. Before looking to see who had called she simply tossed it out her door and dove under the covers once again. Thinking she had easily solved her problem she planned to go back to sleep, but was brought back to reality when an agitated boy stormed into her room._

_"Cagalli!" he yelled._

_She slowly pulled the blanket down revealing her eyes, wide open and staring into a pair of furious violet eyes._

_"Yes, Kira…?" she asked innocently._

_"Why did you throw your phone?" he yelled rubbing the side of his head. Before he had a chance to continue with his rant, she interrupted._

_"I didn't want to answer it," she said in all honestly._

_"If you didn't want it to wake you up in the morning you could have just turned it off last night or put it on silent. And even if you forgot to do that you could have simply answered and told the person you were busy and would call back later. Or even if you didn't want to do that, you could have just ignored the call. Anything but throw the phone! Who does that?" He was beyond irritated.  
_

_Cagalli opened her mouth to defend, but quickly closed it. There was nothing she could say. She hated when he used all these logical thoughts to prove her wrong. It happened too frequently. She could only glare at him._

_"Why are you glaring at me? I'm the victim here," he added pointing to the bump forming on his head._

_Cagalli's eyes widened._

_"I hit you!" she shrieked._

_"Moment of realization," he mumbled._

_"I'm so sorry!" She was trying to keep a straight face. It wasn't long before she broke out into snickering._

_"It's not funny," he said between clenched teeth._

_"I know, I know. It's just that-" but she couldn't continue as she began laughing out loud._

_Kira scowled at his sister, turned around, and stormed out of the room._

_After about five minutes she finally calmed herself down. Just as she was about to go brush her teeth, her phone rang again. She decided it was time to actually answer it. _

_She was greeted by her cheerful friend, Miriallia. Apparently the two had planned to go shopping today for Lacus's birthday. The birthday tea party had completely slipped Cagalli's memory— though she had marked the date on her calendar. Either way, she didn't have much going on and needed to buy her friend a gift._

_"You need an outfit too," Miriallia reminded. _

_"I can put stuff together."_

_"No. We're buying you a new outfit."_

_There was no sense in arguing with her. Cagalli sighed in defeat. She didn't want to face her friend's wrath, especially this early in the morning_

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And that was why she was wearing a dress. Cagalli sighed once again and turned towards her desk to grab a purse. It was already 5:30. Miriallia was to be picking her up in about a half hour to head over to Lacus'. She would have driven herself had Kira not already claimed the car for the weekend.

_I bet he cheats when he plays rock paper scissors with me._

Before she could agree with herself she was brought out of her trance by her brother.

"Hey, Cagalli I'm taking the car to go —WHOA, w-what are you wearing?" he asked as his voice cracked. He had been walking past her room when he caught sight of her and swung into her room instead. Cagalli gave him the evil eye.

"Weren't you supposed to leave forever ago?" Cagalli asked narrowing her amber eyes.

"Yeah, but it's a good thing I didn't. Apparently there were three other curves that we had to estimate the area of. And since they're curves, we can't just use the simple area formula, so I had to estimate using all those rules. You know, the left hand sum, the right hand sum, trapezoidal rule, simpson's rule…"

"Blah, blah, blah," Cagalli said covering her ears with her hands. "I get it, I get it."

"Here's what I don't get. Why are you wearing a dress?" Kira asked, giving his sister a puzzled look.

Cagalli sighed for the hundredth time that hour. "There's a tea party for Lacus's birthday tonight." When Kira was about to open his mouth to ask a question, Cagalli cut him off. "And it's a girl get together. Don't you think it'd be weird if you showed up?"

Kira didn't say anything.

"Well, I hope you guys don't drink tea for the entire night, because I was planning something too," he added avoiding the blonde's curious gaze.

"I'm pretty sure we'll be done in like an hour or so," Cagalli said as a smirk formed on her lips. "And then you can get Lacus all to yourself," she teased.

"Th-that's not what I meant," he defended as his face reddened causing his sister to smile even wider.

"Okayyyyyyyy," she said sarcastically.

"Anyway, I'm going to the library so I'll need the car. Is Miriallia taking you?"

"Yep. Ok, so I'll see you later," Cagalli said as she hustled her brother out of her room. "Go study and then give Lacus the best birthday present ever!" she added causing her brother to flush once again.

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After she heard the front door close and the car pull out of the driveway she jumped on her bed. It was already 6:10. What was taking Miriallia so long? She decided to head down to the kitchen and get a snack. She'd probably have to eat like a proper lady during the tea party and that meant eating the equivalence of a bird. And to be honest, Cagalli was pretty much starving. It _was _almost dinner time. As Cagalli grabbed the cookie jar form the cupboard the phone rang.

"Hello?" Cagalli asked.

The response was a series of never ending coughs. Cagalli held the phone away from her ear until it finally stopped.

"I think you meant to call 911."

"Very funny…" came the voice.

"Miriallia? You sound terrible!" Cagalli said with concern.

"No really?" she cried with sarcasm.

"Well, at least you still have your personality," Cagalli said rolling her eyes. "So, what happened?"

"I dunno. I was perfectly fine yesterday and BAM now I'm not," Miriallia said as she began coughing again. "I'm rea-", but she was cut off by another series of coughs.

Cagalli waited patiently for her friend to recover.

"I'm sorry, Cagalli, but I don't think I can make it to the tea party," Miriallia said slowly and sadly.

"Don't worry about it. We can do something for her after you get better. I'll just call and wish her a happy birthday from the both of us," Cagalli said trying to cheer her friend up.

"Thanks, you're awesome," Miriallia complemented.

"I know," Cagalli said earning a giggle from her friend. "Okay, I'll talk to you later. Go to bed and drink some juice!" she commanded before hanging up.

After a couple moments Cagalli searched through her phone to find the pink haired girl's number. She waited while it rang.

"Hello, this is the Clyne household. How may I help you?" came a male voice.

"Um, hi, may I speak to Lacus?" Cagalli asked.

"Certainly. Who may I say is calling?" he asked.

"Cagalli," she responded.

"One moment please," he added as she was put on hold and strange, serene music began to play.

"Hello?" came her friend's voice.

"Hey Lacus! Happy birthday!" Cagalli screamed, startling the girl.

"Thank you so much, Cagalli!" Lacus said in a pleasant tone. "Will you be joining us for the tea party?" she asked hopeful.

"Actually, I'm sorry to say, but Miriallia isn't feeling very well and she was my ride," Cagalli explained.

"Oh my, I hope she feels better. I should call and find out how she is doing," Lacus said worriedly.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm sure it's just a regular cold. You should just enjoy your birthday! We'll be sure to get together once she's better. I'm really sorry though," Cagalli said apologizing again.

"Please don't let it concern you. I'm so happy that you would call to let me know. I wish you could be here, but I understand," Lacus said as a bunch of people began talking in the background.

"You sure sound busy Lacus," Cagalli said with a laugh. "I'll let you go. Take care and happy birthday again!"

"Thank you, Cagalli. I hope to see you and Miriallia soon," Lacus replied as they both hung up.

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_Now what?_ Cagalli thought.

Now that the tea party was called off there was no reason to be wearing this dress any longer. She decided to head back to her room and change out of the 'hazard'. But as she reached the foot of the stairs she heard the doorbell ring.

"Huh? Is Kira back already? That's weird. He usually studies for hours. Maybe Miriallia stopped by?" she said to herself as she walked over to the front door. When she opened the door she was absolutely shocked to see who it was. "Y-you?" she stuttered.

"Now, now. That's not how you treat your guests, Cagalli," reprimanded the man with a smirk on his face.

"K-kira's not home now. You can try again later—he should be back in a couple hours," Cagalli said as she tried to close the door, but was stopped when he stuck his foot in the way.

"Oh, it's all right. I knew he wasn't here when I saw that the car wasn't in the driveway. It's not that I came here to see him. Can I come in?" he asked as he already stepped into the house.

"Er- okay."

"It's been too long. How have you been, hun? And might I add that you look superbly hot in that dress? Never thought I would have the honor to see you in such," he said as he eyed her.

"Why exactly are you here, Yuna?" she asked rather coldly as she shifted her body weight to one foot and folded her arms feeling uncomfortable under his gaze.

"My dear Cagalli, I'm so hurt that you would talk to me in such a tone," he said trying to put on his most hurt face.

Cagalli tried hard to stop herself from giving him a disgusted look. She couldn't stand the guy in front of her. He was the most annoying individual she had ever met. And he was ridiculously persistent. She was NEVER interested in him and never would be and made that clear hundreds of time, yet he would always send her crazy love letters and even left her creepy voicemails for about a month. Luckily Kira had put a stop to that. Cagalli would much rather have just beat him up—and she probably could have—but Kira hadn't let her. He strictly prohibited her from doing anything of the sort. After all, Yuna's father was a powerful business partner of the siblings' father and she didn't want to be the one to jeopardize that, even if the son was an arrogant and frustrating person.

Yuna walked over to the family room taking a seat on the couch. He motioned for Cagalli to sit next to him, but she just smiled politely and took a seat on the chair on the other side of the room. He had a grim look on his face, but continued speaking anyway.

"Since Kira isn't home at the moment I thought that you and I could use the time to get to know each other better. There is this jewelry store down town and I saw this stunning diamond ring that was screaming your name. Perhaps we could have dinner together and after I could take you there?" he suggested as a grin appeared on his lips.

There was no hiding the bewildered look on her face. She was not about to go on a date with this creep, but she didn't know what to say. Well, she knew she was going to say 'no', but she didn't know how to say it without upsetting him. He was known for his temper, especially when he didn't get what he wanted. As if on cue the land line rang.

"I-I have to answer that!" she exclaimed before jumping up and running over to the phone. She was crossing her fingers hoping it was Kira saying he'd be back in the next 30 seconds. She wouldn't be able to explain the whole situation since Yuna was still in the same room, but she knew she could hint at it.

"Hello?" she said a little too excited.

"Um, hey, Cagalli. Is Kira there?"

_Cagalli closed her eyes tight. Why couldn't it have been Kira? It just had to be his best friend, Athrun, instead. Wait… Athrun…_

"Cagalli…?" he asked again.

"A-Athrun!" she exclaimed causing Yuna to look over at her from the couch. She ignored him and continued. "I'm so glad you finally called! What took you so long?" She said trying to sound as convincing as possible. She noticed something on the desk beside her and picked it up.

"Huh?" he asked puzzled.

"I was almost sure you had forgotten about today, but then I received the gift. Thank you so much!" she added.

"Cagalli… what in the world are you talking about?" H was starting to get a little worried. Not only was she not making sense, she was talking really fast and giggling for no reason.

"Oh, are you serious? Dinner? That's too much, Athrun. In a half hour? Of course I'll be ready. Okay, I'll talk to you later… sweety," she said hesitantly before hanging up.

"Wait, Cagalli?" asked the baffled boy, but it was too late. She had already hung up. "What in the world has gotten into her?" he asked himself as he ran his fingers through his hair.

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Cagalli let out a deep sigh. She hoped Athrun didn't think she was the lunatic she had portrayed herself to be. Hopefully he would still be willing to talk to her in the future. She'd call him later and explain everything, but for now she was safe. She casually walked back to the couch and sat back down with a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry, where were we?" she asked innocently.

"Who was that?" Yuna asked narrowing his onyx eyes at the phone.

"That was Athrun, my… boyfriend. Oh, that's right, I never had a chance to tell you about him. Today is our six month anniversary actually. And look, he sent me this ring," she said showing off a beautiful ring on her ring finger. "He even insisted on taking me out to dinner. He'll be here in about a half hour, so I should be getting ready," she said as she stood up again. "You don't want to have to wait around for no reason. Kira won't be back for a couple hours, but you should call before you come by. "

"No, it's all right. Actually, I'd like to meet this boyfriend of yours," he said sitting back in his seat and crossing his legs.

"W-what?" she asked as her amber eyes widened. She wasn't expecting this. Athrun wasn't _actually _going to come by. She had everything worked out perfectly in her head: she pretended her boyfriend was coming to take her to dinner, Yuna would leave, she would then change into her pajamas and watch a movie while lying on the couch. Why did he have to go and pull this stunt? "Oh, he'll probably be late. You know boys, always late for their dates," Cagalli added laughing nervously.

"It's no problem at all. I'm not busy today so I don't mind waiting around, no matter how long it takes," he said smirking. "Why don't you have a seat?"

What was she to do now? The only thing she could do was stall until Kira got back home. But that would probably take hours! This was insane. She earnestly tried to hide the distressed look she had on her face, but she was sure Yuna had figured it out.

"So, about this boyfriend," he started, causing the girl to stiffen. "Where does he go to school?"

"Oh, well he's a senior at Zaft High," she said truthfully.

"So you don't go to the same school?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow. "How did you meet him?"

"Umm, well he's also Kira's best friend. That's how I was introduced," she said.

"Where was your first date?" he asked folding his hands.

"Th-that's a little personal, isn't it?" she stuttered.

"Not really. I always found that a first date was the one to always remember and share with others," he said still waiting for a response.

"G-golf course," she said quickly causing Yuna to give her a strange look.

"You're first date was at a golf course?" he said disbelievingly.

"Yes," she said with as much confidence as she could summon.

"Well, why did—" but before he could continue the doorbell rang.

Cagalli sprang up. Maybe Kira really had come back early! She ran over to the door without even waiting for Yuna to continue. He too stood up and followed her none-the-less. She was taken aback by who she saw standing there.

"A-Athrun!" she exclaimed with her eyes wide open in disbelief.

"Hey, sorry I'm running a little late," he said as he smiled at the extremely confused blonde. "Here, these are for you," he added as he handed her a bouquet of flowers.

Cagalli was dumbfounded.

"May I come in?" he asked politely.

"Y-yeah, of course," she said moving aside and allowing him entrance into the house.

"Hello…" Athrun started as he faced the purple haired man. He knew him. Whenever his name was mentioned, Cagalli had a thing or two to say.

"Yuna Roma Seiran," Yuna said putting out his hand.

"Athrun Zala. Nice to meet you," he said as he shook Yuna's hand.

"Well, I'm glad you guys had a chance to meet, but we really should be going now, right Athrun?" Cagalli asked as she grabbed her coat and purse.

"Oh, but I haven't had a chance to speak with Athrun. I really would like to get to know the boy who is _dating_ my dear Cagalli," he added slyly looking to see if Athrun's expression changed.

There was no change. Cagalli, on the other hand, was panicking. She glanced over at Athrun nervously, not sure what he was going to say. Athrun didn't look at her.

"Of course."

"N-no, really. We'll be late," Cagalli insisted trying not to sound desperate. She grabbed his hand trying to make him look at her.

"It's fine, Cagalli," Athrun assured as he held her hand to calm her down.

Yuna grunted and walked back over to the couch. Athrun followed still holding onto Cagalli's hand. The two of them sat next to each other while Yuna plopped down across from them.

"I saw the ring you sent for Cagalli. It really is quite lovely," Yuna started.

Cagalli's heart was racing. Why was this happening to her? Not only was she going to be exposed, she was probably going to lose Athrun as a friend. As if sensing her trouble, Athrun squeezed her hand, bringing her back to reality.

"Oh yes, it was hard to find the perfect ring. I'm glad to see that she's wearing it," he said smiling at Cagalli.

She tried to smile back. Yuna was irritated.

"Oh yeah, it's your anniversary- fourth month, right?" Yuna added.

Cagalli twitched. He was doing this on purpose. How was Athrun supposed to know it was their anniversary, let alone their supposed sixth month anniversary?

"Actually, it's our six month anniversary," Athrun corrected, still smiling

Cagalli stared at him in disbelief. How the heck did he know that? Athrun looked over at her.

"You didn't think I'd forget, did you?" Athrun asked chuckling.

"N-no, well… yes actually," she said still staring at him. He laughed again. Yuna was beyond irritated now. He was glaring at the man sitting across from him.

"So you two are going to dinner now, isn't that right? I'm sure you're going to the same place you did on your first date," Yuna said as his confidence began to build up again.

"Actually, our first date wasn't at a restaurant. It was a nice stroll by the beach," Athrun said casually.

"Aha!" Yuna cried causing Athrun to make an odd expression and Cagalli to stiffen. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," he said trying to hide the smirk forming on his lips. "It's just that Cagalli happened to say that your first date was at a golf course," he added beginning to laugh hysterically.

Cagalli tensed in her seat. Without realizing it, she began to squeeze Athrun's hand tighter. Athrun glanced over at her and noticed her face was pale and she was on the verge of hyperventilating. He waited for Yuna to stop laughing.

"Oh, the golf course?" he said remembering the memory. "I never really thought of that as the first date, especially since Cagalli wasn't too excited about it. It took her about twelve tries to get the first ball in the hole. She had a couple of air balls as well," he added with a laugh. "Kira and Lacus were there with us too, so I guess you could have called it a group date. But our first date alone together was actually by the beach." He said as he looked at the blonde who had tears forming on the bottom of her beautiful amber eyes.

"It was really romantic," she added as she leaned her head on his shoulder. She was so thankful that Athrun was going along with her psychotic plan.

Yuna looked as though he was about to self destruct. Just then, his cell phone went off.

"What!" he yelled. "Oh! Father, how are you?" he added quickly. "Oh, well I'm a little busy at the moment. No, of course I can be back soon. Okay, good bye," he said as he hung up.

"It looks as though you have some business to attend to. We shouldn't keep you any longer," Athrun said as he stood up. "Cagalli and I should be going as well," he added as he extended his hand to her. She nodded and stood up as well.

"I'm glad you had the chance to meet each other," she said as she walked over to the front door with the two of them following. "Oh, I forgot my shoes, I'll be right back," she said as she hurried up to her room.

Yuna watched her disappear and turned to face Athrun who was already staring at him.

"You'll never make Cagalli happy," he said bluntly.

"That's for her to decide," Athrun responded as they turned to watch her descend the stairs. "Shall we?" he asked as he opened the door for her.

"We shall," she giggled and linked her arm with his. He smiled as he led the way with Yuna following closely behind.

The two of them walked over to Athrun's convertible. He opened the passenger door for her and closed it once she was seated. He headed for the driver's seat, but before getting in looked back to see Yuna by his own car glaring at the two of them.

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From the moment Athrun left the driveway Cagalli kept staring back. It wasn't until after they had left the neighborhood that she relaxed in her seat and let out a deep sigh.

"So…" he started getting her attention. "Want to tell me what this is all about?"

"Athrun, I'm sorry. I didn't think it would get so out of hand I definitely didn't want you to have to get so involved. It's just that he showed up all of a sudden when Kira wasn't there, and I get really uncomfortable when he's around and you called and I kind of wasn't thinking right and just blurted out a bunch of stuff," she rambled. "I bet I really confused you…"

Athrun smiled while still looking at the road ahead.

"So then I kinda pretended I was on the phone with my boyfriend and that he'd be picking me up. I hoped that that would be enough to get rid of Yuna, but he decided to stick around and 'meet him'," she added making quote signs with her fingers. "I never expected you to actually show up," she added looking at Athrun.

"You were acting pretty crazy when I called, so I knew something was up. But it's all good… 'sweet heart'," he imitated glancing over at the blonde.

Cagalli turned a bright red and quickly turned to the window. She had totally forgotten that she had called him something like that before hanging up. She had hoped that he had missed it as well. "I-I told you! Thinking straight, I wasn't!" she shouted.

It was then that she realized her sentence didn't make sense and she smacked her forehead. Athrun couldn't help but laugh. When Cagalli refused to look in his direction after a couple moments Athrun decided to continue the conversation.

"Well, it was fun playing along. So don't worry about it," he said concentrating on the road again.

This peaked Cagalli's interest and she turned to face him once she was sure her face was back to its natural color.

"Yeah, thanks a lot for going along with it… but how did you , um, you know, know about our 'anniversary'?" she asked making quotes with her fingers again.

"It wasn't hard to figure out he was trying to put me on the spotlight," he answered calmly. "Oh, and you always pick the number six," he added as though it was the most obvious fact in the world.

"No I don't," She argued.

"You always put six mini marshmallows in your hot chocolate, you'll only drive six over the speed limit, you add an additional six spoons of sugar to brownie mix—need I continue?" he asked smirking at her.

"I really do like the number six," she mumbled more to herself than to her companion. "But wait, what about the 'beach'?" she asked curiously.

"Remember when Kira, Lacus, you and I went to the summer vacation home three years ago?" he reminded.

"Oh yeah!" she exclaimed as she recalled the memory. "Lacus was too nervous to walk along the shore. Something about being swept away by the tides and Kira didn't want to leave her alone. But I wanted to be adventurous and explore the beach. Kira refused to let me go on my own, but then you offered to accompany me." Cagalli pursed her lips. Kira was so overprotective and never seemed to trust her.

Athrun smiled at her expression. She looked adorable when she was upset—like a little girl almost. "I always thought of that as a date…" he started. Cagalli's eyes widened and she stared at him with her mouth open. When he laughed she clamped her mouth shut and turned her head to the side so he wouldn't see the pink tint on her cheeks.

"So, about that dinner-" Athrun began but was interrupted.

"Oh yeaaaaah, that was also the first thing that came to my head. You can completely forget about everything that happened today, actually," Cagalli said laughing nervously.

"Oh, then I wonder what I should do with the reservation I made at the Orb Diner?" he asked innocently.

"You didn't…" Cagalli asked in awe. His response was flashing a flawless smile at her "B-but, that's so… high class. I can't go there. I mean, I'm not dressed for something like that," she said trying to come up with some sort of excuse. The Orb Diner was famous for its delicious meals, but more so for its extravagance.

"You look perfect," he said glancing over at her. This caused the girl to jerk her face towards the window again, but not before a blush crept to her cheeks.

"Th-thanks," she managed to stutter causing her companion to smile once again.

"So you accept my dinner proposal?" he asked as he pulled into a parking lot.

She turned to face him and found herself lost in his gorgeous, emerald eyes. She wondered what she had done to deserve someone as amazing as him. To her he was perfect in every respect. She was brought back from her thoughts when he said her name.

"Cagalli?" he asked in his gentle, sweet voice.

"Of course," she said giving him a bright smile.

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**Archerygurl:**

Comments on my first one-shot please?  
=)


	3. Chapter 2

**Archerygurl:**

Howdy, everyone! Second installment of 'Unexpected Occurrences' complete!

This story is for a very special someone who happens to be celebrating her birthday.  
Happy Birthday Ting Ting! [9/18]

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!  
Please read and review!

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**Unexpected Occurrences II**

**Summary:** Cagalli has loathed the dentist's office ever since that horrible event. After convincing herself she will never have contact with another psychotic dentist, she is all but ecstatic to learn her _dear_ brother has made an appointment for a consultation about her wisdom teeth. Still, she's not about to give in so easily. Can this freshly graduated oral surgeon calm her down and get the task accomplished?

* * *

Lacus sipped the freshly prepared cup of tea and placed it back on the tray sitting atop the dining table.

"I can't believe you!"

The door slammed.

"Cagalli, open the door!"

"NO!" Her voice was loud and clear although the piece of wood separated her from the boy.

"This isn't funny. You know you _have_ to go." He didn't want to sound pleading, but time was running short.

"I don't _have_ to do anything," she retorted from behind the door.

Kira sighed as he ran his fingers through his unruly brown hair. There was no winning against Cagalli, especially when she was angry. It was like arguing with a brick wall. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Lacus smiling comfortingly at him.

"Let me talk to her."

He nodded and moved to the side to see if his girlfriend had any luck.

"Cagalli?"

"Hi Lacus," Cagalli said calmly through the door. It was as though the past argument had never even happened.

"May I come in?"

There was silence for a moment.

"Is Kira there?"

"Yes."

"Then no."

Lacus turned to face her boyfriend with an apologetic smile. He knew she wanted him to step back and he obliged without an argument. He turned to walk down the stairs. When he had disappeared Lacus asked if she could enter and she was let in.

"Cagalli, why is it that you are so against going to the dentist's office?"

"I don't like them," was her honest and childish reply.

"You are aware that they will numb your mouth in addition to giving you anesthesia, correct?"

"That's what they said last time! And do you know what? It hurt like _hell_. I couldn't eat for a week and a half," she countered. "And there's no way I'm letting them put me to sleep and do 'whatever' to my mouth." The thought of anyone, especially some old, smelly dentist, being so close to her in such a state made her shudder.

Lacus smiled. She had heard about the incident that happened three years ago.

"Cagalli, will you at least meet with the oral surgeon? He is a close friend of mine and I promise he won't do anything without your consent."

Cagalli eyed the girl cautiously, hesitant though she knew Lacus would never lie. Finally she gave in to the girl's suggestion and Lacus beamed with joy. The two exited the room and went down to the family room where Kira was drumming his fingertips on the table. He didn't notice the two until they stood in front of him. Cagalli had her hands folded over her chest while Lacus simply smiled in victory.

"I'm surprised you were able to convince her," he said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

The blonde shot him a glare, but said nothing. The three left the house in silence and made their way to the office.

**/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" The receptionist was smiling brightly. Though it was part of her job, she seemed too perky for Cagalli's taste.

"I have an appointment with the oral surgeon."

"Name?"

"Cagalli Hibiki."

"Ah, yes. You can follow me back," she said as she opened the door for Cagalli and led her to an enclosed office. "Dr. Zala will be with your shortly."

With that the young woman left the room. Kira had remained in the waiting area while Lacus had accompanied Cagalli. The girl began tapping her foot anxiously.

"Cagalli, there's nothing to be nervous about. If you don't feel comfortable once you've met with him we can leave," Lacus reassured.

"I'm not nervous," Cagalli lied.

Lacus nodded and the two fell silent until there was a knock on the door. A moment later, a young man, not much older than Cagalli herself, entered. He was well toned and had a fair complexion. His hair was a dark navy blue color and had a lustrous shine to it. And his eyes—they were the most radiant, emerald orbs she had ever seen.

"Lacus, you look well," he greeted, before he turned to the girl sitting in the patient's seat. "You must be Cagalli."

It took a moment for Cagalli to register that he was talking to her. Immediately she shut her mouth, which she was sure looked like a big gaping hole.

"Y-yea, but who are you?" she spat.

He chuckled and Lacus answered for him.

"Cagalli, this is Dr. Zala."

"Oh, heck no. There's no way he's the oral surgeon," she said with disbelief. "He's so…"

Her drift caught his attention and he tilted his head and smirked.

"I'm so?"

"hand—young!" she tried to cover her slip up.

"Hand young?" The smirk never left his lips.

Cagalli felt her cheeks heat up so she immediately turned her attention to Lacus.

"Please tell me you're joking." Cagalli was now pleading.

"I can understand your surprise. Athrun did recently graduate from dental school…"

"Ok, I'm outta here," Cagalli said as she jumped off the seat. "There's no way I'm letting some newbie work on me."

She made an attempt to walk past the two, but an arm had wrapped around her, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to glare at the man whose arm had latched on to her, preventing her from taking another step.

"Excuse me, I'm trying to leave." She attempted to pry his arm off her, but it, and she, stayed put.

"Cagalli, please at least speak with Athrun. You won't find anyone who remotely matches his skills. He was the top of his class and— "

"Ok ok, fine." Cagalli didn't want to hear a biography on him. All she had to do was talk to the guy anyway.

Lacus beamed and thanked the girl before saying she would step out while they talked.

**/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**

"So, will you unhand me now, Mr. doctor?" she asked sarcastically.

He released her and motioned for her to return to her seat.

"You can just call me Athrun. Honestly, I'm still not used to or very fond of the whole 'Dr. Zala' title," he admitted as followed her. "Now, you're supposed to be getting your wisdom teeth out, correct?" he asked as he placed a mask over his nose and mouth.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing? We're just supposed to _talk._" She immediately felt uncomfortable seeing the all too familiar veil.

"Can I just take a look?"

"No." She clamped her mouth shut.

Sensing her uneasiness and realizing she was probably as stubborn as Lacus had described, he removed the mask and apologized, saying it was a habit.

"So here's the deal." He was surprised by her directness. "I went in to see the dentist three years ago and they did an x-ray of my mouth and said it wasn't big enough for the incoming wisdom teeth. But, honestly, I haven't had any problems. So they were probably just making stuff up as an excuse to pull teeth out for no reason and make some extra cash."

He was amused by her conclusion, though it _was_ a common misconception. A misconception held by many _children_. She saw his emerging smile and demanded to know what he found so funny.

"Ah, it's nothing. But you don't seem to have much faith in us." 'Us' referring to anyone who worked in the dental field. In response she gave a 'hmph' and folded her arms. Seeing he wasn't going to get anything else he decided to find out about her past history. "So when was the last time you had a routine cleaning?"

She seemed to think about the question before answering. "Um, maybe a little more than a year ago."

He was shocked, and his widened eyes reflected this clearly.

"What?" she demanded.

"You do realize you should have had a routine check up at least two or three times before this visit? You're supposed to go to the dentist every six months."

Now she was surprised. "Every six months? I thought it was every two years…" She immediately regretted the information she had shared once she saw the look on his face—disbelief mixed with amusement.

"I'm a little hesitant to look at your mouth now," he joked. There was a mischievous glint in his eye, which Cagalli failed to notice.

"I take perfect care of my teeth, thank you very much!"

"Your previous statement seems to tell me otherwise."

"Then look for yourself!" She opened her mouth wide while her eyes continued to glare at the man before her.

He smiled before agreeing. He had won. Getting her to open her mouth for him was the first challenge he had to overcome and he had achieved victory.

After a couple moments he sat back in his seat and wrote something down in the file sitting on the table.

"So?" she challenged.

"You've got me. I was expecting crummy food and possibly bugs with a cavity here and there, but your teeth are as white as a pearl." He laughed when she grinned in pleasure. "But, I'm afraid what they told you was correct. Your mouth won't be able to handle the incoming teeth without pushing your current ones around. It'll result in crooked teeth. And you don't want to ruin your beautiful smile."

"I can't believe it." She ignored everything he had said after he agreed with the statement the others had claimed.

"Yeah, it's a surprise for me too. Who would have thought someone with such a 'big mouth' wouldn't have room for a couple extra teeth." His voice held sarcasm and his lips formed a smirk. He wasn't sure why he enjoyed poking fun at this patient. It was the first time he had acted so unprofessional.

She blushed, whether it was in embarrassment or from the perfect smile that gave her butterflies, she didn't know.

Embarrassment, no doubt.

"S-shut up."

"I think it would be best if we went ahead and had the surgery done now—the sooner, the better. I'll let those waiting for you know. The anesthesia is ready and it will only take about an hour."

"Hey, hey, wait! Isn't this where some sort of discussion takes place!" she waved her hands around frantically. She did not come in here mentally prepared to get her teeth pulled out and she was sure she'd suffer from a meltdown if he came anywhere near her with a sharp object.

"The longer you wait, the worse it'll get," he said as he stood up and opened the door, ready to leave.

He stopped when she had grabbed his wrist. Turning to face her, he was taken aback. She had a pleading look on her face, the last expression he would have thought she could portray.

"Th-that's what they said last time! 'The anesthesia would work perfectly, I wouldn't feel a thing, it would be over before I knew it.' But they were all lies. The shot they gave me to numb my mouth pierced through my gum. I couldn't suppress the pain and I screamed, but that didn't stop them, even for a second. I said I didn't want to go through with it. They held me down by force and jammed some sort of anesthetic IV into my vein. Kira wasn't there to tell them to stop…" the memory was flooding back to her.

It was all coming back. Too fast. Her grip on Athrun's wrist tightened unintentionally.

"Something went terribly wrong after that. I can't even remember because I was so 'drugged'. I just remember crying out and the never-ending pain. I tried to move, but I only managed to tilt my head. There was blood everywhere. And then the door flew open revealing Kira. I blacked out after that," she finished with a whisper.

She turned to see him staring down at her. She hadn't told anyone about this. What made her trust him so much? That wasn't it. She was simply desperate to make him stop before the same thing happened all over again. Realizing her hand was still anchoring him, probably the only reason he was still listening to her pathetic story, she dropped her hand at once, casting her eyes down.

The door closed. She imitated it, and closed her eyes. Mentally scolding herself for acting like the fool she had. Her eyes flickered open when she felt the warm touch of a hand on hers. Turning her shocked face, she saw him kneeling beside her, his expression unreadable.

"S-sorry about that. I don't know where that came from." She attempted to laugh as she shook her head. "Anyway, I'd rather—"

He cut her off as he pulled her towards him, into a hug. It was an awkward hug, since the chair's arm was in the way, but she didn't protest.

"I had no idea," he whispered.

"I-it's nothing really. Just forget it." She was blushing once again.

She was angry that she had spilled everything to him, yet she felt oddly happy and relieved about it at the same time.

"Cagalli," he pulled away from the girl and looked into her amber eyes. "If you're completely against it, we won't force you."

She looked into his eyes for a couple moments before replying.

"Okay."

"All right, then I'll explain it to your brother," he stood up once again and turned to exit the door.

"I'll get them out now. I-I trust you."

He wasn't sure he had heard her correctly and turned to see what kind of expression she wore. Was she actually going to go through with the surgery?

"But I swear… if I feel even the slightest pinch your pretty face is going to meet my fist!" Her cheekiness was back and he nodded before smiling.

_This_ was the girl who had first walked into the office. Outspoken, spirited, and bold. He was glad she had returned. He smirked at her before approaching the door to leave and get the necessary supplies. She eyed him curiously; unsure of why he had that teasing grin on his lips.

"This 'pretty face' will be back," he said as he left the room.

Cagalli's eyes widened and she smacked her forehead a couple of times.

**/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**

When he had returned she refused to look him in the eyes. Her face held a pinker complexion, causing him to broaden his smile. He showed her the needle that would numb her mouth and she nodded, eyeing the weapon cautiously.

"It may feel like a pinch, but it'll only last a couple of seconds," he warned.

She nodded in understanding, before opening her mouth. As quickly as she had opened it she closed it again. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I have a question."

"Ok?"

"How long will the numbness last? You see, I have a party to go to later…"

He smiled. She really had placed all her trust in him. No longer was she worried about feeling pain. Instead, she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to socialize properly with her friends.

"Well, your cheeks are probably going to be pretty swollen after. It's nothing that ice can't fix though. Crunchy and other difficult foods are out. So no junk food for a while…" she pouted at this, which made him smile under the mask. "But overall you should be fine by tonight."

She nodded in understanding before opening her mouth once again. The last thing she remembered was gazing up at his beautiful, emerald eyes. She then drifted off into a peaceful dream world.

**/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**

"So everything went all right?" There was doubt in his voice.

"No problems what so ever. She was one of my easier patients. I thought otherwise when we first met, but she definitely surprised me." He turned to look at the girl who was sleeping peacefully. He couldn't help but smile as he gazed at her serene face.

"Didn't I tell you Athrun would do an excellent job?" Lacus said as she nudged her boyfriend's arm gently.

Kira laughed and nodded.

"Well I'm sure you have other patients to take care of, so we'll take Cagalli home now," he said as he walked over to his sister. "Hey, Cagalli," he whispered.

"mmm," she mumbled.

"We have to go now."

"…"

"Cagalli?"

"Go away."

To this, Athrun laughed and Lacus tried to hide her giggle.

"It seems Cagalli is back to herself," the girl replied.

Kira pulled her up by the arm so that she was now in a sitting position. Had he not been there to catch her, she would have tipped over. Her head was now resting on his shoulder.

"Where's Athrun?" she managed to ask as she fought to open her eyes.

"He's here," Kira said, as he looked to the young man standing by Lacus.

"He did a good job… can he be my dentist forever? I like him," she was rambling and Kira had a somewhat shocked expression as he turned to look at the two standing by the exit.

Lacus mirrored his expression and Athrun struggled to keep himself in his calm poise. The boy turned to look at Athrun questioningly, but his only response was a slight, shy smile. He seemed a bit flushed, but before Kira could say anything, Lacus placed a hand on Kira's shoulder.

"Let's go, Kira. Thank you again, Athrun."

With that they left the building and Athrun made his rounds visiting other patients.

**/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**

It had been four hours since they left the dentist's office. Cagalli was still lying on the couch. Every so often Lacus would come by and replace the ice pack she had placed on Cagalli's face. She would whine, but eventually she got used to the cold chill.

When she finally woke up, her mouth was sore. Looking in the mirror she was surprised to see that she wasn't swollen at all. One of her fears, though she wouldn't tell anyone, was looking like a chipmunk at the party.

After thanking Lacus for all her help, the pink princess said she would be going home to get ready for the afternoon get-together. Cagalli, too, had to get ready. She headed up to her room to change into something a little fancier. Of course, a dress was out of the question. However, she was able to find a nice pair of black dress pants and a matching black and red dress shirt. All the while she was getting ready she couldn't rid herself of the feeling she was missing something.

_Or someone_.

**/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**

"Earth to Cagalli." A girl was waving her hand in front of the blonde's face. "Come on, my arm's getting tired!"

"Ah, wait, what?" Cagalli asked regaining her senses. "What did you say, Miri?"

The girl rolled her eyes and shook her head, her auburn hair bouncing with each nod.

"What's wrong with you. You're completely out of it."

"Oh, my mouth's just a little sore." It wasn't a lie. But it wasn't the complete truth. She felt bad. She hadn't even had a chance to thank Athrun properly. She remembered mumbling a 'thanks', but she wasn't even sure he had heard it.

She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to see him. She shook her head violently. What was she thinking? And why was she thinking that? She had only met him once. And the next time would probably be in six months, so it wasn't so bad, right?  
But still…

Miriallia was watching her friend closely. She seemed to be experiencing some sort of internal conflict. She thought it better not to pry so she suggested that Cagalli get some punch. She obliged and made her way to the table with various snacks and drinks.

"Hey Cagalli, you look nice."

"Thanks, Dearka," Cagali said as she poured herself a glass of punch.

He continued to stare at her, as though he was expecting something. She turned to give him a questioning glance.

"Aren't you going to complement me, now?"

"Do I have to?"

"Well, that's the only reason I complemented you…"

Cagalli laughed and rolled her eyes.

"You look very pretty Dearka," she said as she took a sip of her drink.

"Why tha—wait, 'pretty'?" He looked at her with an expression of disbelief and disturbance.

She couldn't help but laugh. He continued to stare at her, as though she were crazy.

"What?" she asked, a little irritated.

"Did you miss your mouth or something?"

"Huh? What are you—" she stopped mid-sentence to see that the punch trickled down her lip and onto her shirt.

**/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**

It was already six-thirty. Athrun glared at the stack of charts that still sat on his desk. He had fallen behind today. For what reason, though? He wasn't particularly busy. He had finished visiting patients earlier in the day. It wasn't until he sat down to look through all the charts that he began to lag. Perhaps it was because his mind kept drifting off to a certain blonde haired, amber eyed, beauty. He slid the current chart across the table and placed his elbows on the desk before running his hands through his hair. What had gotten into him? He was acting like a love struck puppy.

He heard the front door open. His receptionist was probably leaving for the night. Lucky her. He'd be here another couple of hours at least. Pulling the chart back, he glanced through it, only to be interrupted by muffled talking. He raised an eyebrow and stood up, wondering whom she was talking to.

Before he had a chance to approach the door, it swung open. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw who stood there, before him.

"Cagalli?" His voice was filled with disbelief, as though it were simply not possible.

The receptionist had run in right after Cagalli, apologizing profusely to him. Explaining that Athrun was no longer seeing patients, she tried to pull Cagalli out by dragging her by the arm, but the girl refused to budge. She was glaring at Athrun.

Athrun returned her glare with a confused expression and told the receptionist her appearance was fine. She shrugged her shoulders before leaving, saying she would be locking up. He nodded, still looking at the girl in front of him. When the door closed, Cagalli spoke up.

"You lied!" She pointed an accusing finger at him.

"I did?"

"You said I would be fine by tonight!" He blinked twice, still unsure of where this was going.

She walked up to him, until she was inches away, her face peering up at his. Her glare didn't drop.

"I was at that party and when I went to drink some punch I couldn't feel a thing. It completely missed my mouth and ruined my outfit!"

Finally he understood what she was getting at. He smirked and took a step towards her. She refused to back down, and continued her rant.

"If my friend hadn't been there I would have kept drinking and my entire outfit would have been red and sweet. You said I would be perfectly fine after a while! But I can't feel a thing. I can't believe— "

She was cut mid-sentence when he wrapped one arm around her and placed his other under her chin, pulling her closer. Before she had any time to react he pressed his lips against hers.

Her eyes grew to twice their size, but she gradually close them as she leaned into him. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around his neck. It wasn't until she felt him smirk that her eyes fluttered open and she pushed herself away from him.

She was completely flustered and she struggled to keep her face at its regular complexion. She was failing miserably and her face was growing redder by the second.

"Can you feel now?" he asked it in such an innocent voice that she had to think twice before responding.

"Y-yes—wait, what the hell was that!" she yelled.

"What was what?"

She was dumbfounded. Her mind was slowly deteriorating. She couldn't form words.

"I missed you too," he replied, smiling shyly and scratching the back of his head.

She waited a moment, not really sure what she was supposed to say. He had taken the words out of her mouth.

"You… owe me a new shirt."

He tilted his head and gave her an amused smile.

"Of course. I apologize for the trouble I've caused you."

She shook her head and averted her gaze, avoiding his alluring emerald eyes. She was well aware that her cheeks were nowhere near their actual color.

"Well, shall we go?" He extended his hand to her.

"B-but, don't you have a lot of work to do?" She pointed at the stack of charts on his desk.

"Nothing urgent."

Her mind told her he was a liar, but she smiled warmly at him before accepting his offer.

They exited the building, her fingers entwined with his.

* * *

**Archerygurl:**

Honestly... this story was a big change for me.  
I've never really written anything this... 'lovey dovey' before.  
So comments are appreciated. (Did it sound awkward?)  
Also, was the ending too rushed? I feel like it was...

I'm not sure about you guys... but I've never imagined Athrun as a Doctor/Dentist. xD  
It just sounds funny... 'Dr. Zala'

If you choose to review, I will be eternally grateful!


	4. Chapter 3

**Meisha:**

It's been a while since I've updated this. I wanted to try something new and attempted to write in the 1st person... through Athrun's POV. Let me know what you think!

* * *

**Unexpected Occurrences III**

**Pairing: AsuCaga**

Summary: Athrun really wasn't surprised when Dearka wrecked his car. But being stranded in a café and receiving messages from an obsessive sales rep can drive anyone crazy. Still, nothing amounts to the enigmatic experience of driving through town with this hot-tempered girl.

* * *

"So… yeah, that's pretty much what happened." He flashed a sheepish grin.

"You're telling me you wrecked your car over something so irresponsible." There was no surprise in my voice—I was just stating a fact.

Before you accuse of me of being insensitive let's get this straight. I'm quite reasonable when it comes to mistakes, but it's hard to stay calm when you've heard the same story thirty-seven times. No, I don't usually keep count, but it's hard _not _to when you're the one who has to bail the same idiot out every single time.

So that's why I didn't even try to hide my irritation. He noticed immediately and dropped his smile.

"Come on Athrun, it wasn't really my fault." He paused a moment, probably waiting for me to interrupt. I remained silent. "Look, just come in and look at the car. Then you'll understand."

He opened the door of the auto servicing center and motioned for me to follow. There was a part of me that was curious, but my better half warned of the consequences. As we approached the counter I saw his car—or what was left of it. I felt a tug of guilt, but before I could utter a word of sympathy a girl appeared at the counter.

"Hi, welcome to our repair shop, how can I help you?"

"Hey hun." He winked.

And just like that my feelings of compassion vanished.

She giggled in response. "Ah, Mr. Elsman, the mechanic just finished inspecting your vehicle. I'm afraid it will take a couple days to repair all the damage."

His expression fell.

"But I need it back today!"

"Dearka, you know that's unreasonable." He turned to face me, eyes wide open and distraught.

The phone rang and the clerk excused herself to answer it.

"Athrun, I need it today!"

"And why's that?"

"I have a date!"

"Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! It took me three months to convince her to accept my proposal!"

Now that was interesting. Dearka never spent more than a week trying to impress a girl.

"Can I just borrow your car?"

I must have visibly flinched at that request.

"Athrun, I swear I won't wreck it. If there's a single scratch on your car I'll give up my driver's license and pay for any and all expenses!"

I said nothing. There must have been something really special about this girl seeing as how he was this desperate.

"Athrun, I'll clean your house and cook you meals—"

"Okay, that's enough." Hearing this level of agony was embarrassing. "But what am I supposed to do if you use my car?"

Dearka's eyes sparkled as a new auto representative appeared behind the counter.

"Hi, is there anything I can help you gentlemen with?"

I noticed her gaze linger on me. I hoped Dearka hadn't picked up on it, but one look at him and his mischievous grin told me otherwise.

"Nope, we're all good here, hun." She was taken aback by the pet name, but plastered a smile on her face. "You see, my buddy here just offered me his car. He's a great guy, you know?" Dearka swung his arm over my shoulder.

I had a bad feeling about this.

I took a quick glance at the girl behind the counter. She looked sweet—seemed like the quiet, timid type. Maybe if we met elsewhere when I wasn't on the verge of snapping I would consider going out with her. But given the current situation… that was the last thing on my mind.

Dearka had other plans. He swiftly read her name tag.

"So Meer, what are your plans this evening?"

She blinked in mild confusion. "Um, nothing really."

"Perfect, since my buddy Athrun here is vehicle-less, you should—" Dearka was silenced by a quick jab to his rib cage.

Her eyes widened in concern, but I gave her a reassuring smile. A shade of pink appeared on her cheeks as she smiled back cautiously.

Dearka removed his arm from my shoulder and rubbed his torso. "Jeez, I just thought you'd want some company since you're basically stranded till you get your car back. And Meer's pretty cute."

I resisted the urge to smack my forehead. I turned to apologize, but she didn't appear to be listening. Instead, a bright red shade had consumed the rest of her face. Maybe she wasn't used to hearing such comments, but that was unlikely. She worked at a car shop and Dearka wasn't half as bad as some of the other customers. Regardless, I was starting to feel more uncomfortable with each passing moment.

"Um, I get off work in a couple of hours," Meer offered, as her gaze shifted to the tiles beneath her feet.

Dearka smirked in victory as I glared at him.

"Don't worry about it, Meer." She snapped her head up at my response.

"No, it's really fine," she countered, placing her hands on the counter and leaning towards me.

I took a step back at our proximity. My first impression of her wasn't a hundred percent accurate. I shook my head.

"I actually have some work to take care of. I appreciate your kindness though." Dearka was about to protest, but a quick stomp to his foot kept him silent.

Her expression fell a little, but she replaced it with a smile. "Well, we will be sure to call you once the car is fixed. I look forward to your return."

She was supposed to be addressing Dearka, but her gaze was fixed on me the entire time. I simply nodded and turned to the exit with Dearka following at my heels.

"Someone has the hots for you!"

"Don't talk to me."

**/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**

"I don't understand why you rejected her offer," Dearka mumbled as he accelerated out of the parking lot.

"Not everyone is like you, Dearka," I commented dryly. I was still questioning why I agreed to let him borrow my car.

He let out a humorless chuckle. "Anyway, you need to go to the office, right?"

"Nah, just drop me off at my place."

"You should be ashamed of lying!" Dearka reprimanded with feigned anger.

"I wouldn't have had to if you didn't try to play matchmaker," I added through clenched teeth.

Before Dearka could retort his phone rang.

"Yo, you are speaking with the one and only Dearka Elsman… Ah, Miriallia … A half hour ago? Really? … No, no, no, I'm on my way right now… Of course I wasn't with another girl! … Okay, I'll see you in two minutes!" He clicked the phone shut and tossed it to the side. "I can't believe she doesn't trust me."

"Yes, it's quite shocking."

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm." I shrugged in response. "Anyway, can I just drop you off here? Miri is going to kill me if I'm late."

"We're on the highway…"

"Okay, at the next exit. Then I'll come pick you up later or something."

The something part worried me.

After a few minutes of driving, Dearka spotted a café. Rather than argue, I simply accepted my fate. Worst case scenario, I'd be here for a couple hours, right?

**/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**

As I opened the door to the café, heads turned. It wasn't very welcoming; in fact, it was a little creepy. The café itself had a homey feel, but apparently the customers were only used to seeing regulars. I placed my order and took a seat at a small booth in the corner. After about twenty seconds everyone resumed their own activities.

About a half hour after I had gotten my coffee my phone went off. The number that flashed across the screen didn't look familiar and I wasn't about to answer it. One too many bad experiences have taught me otherwise. Ignoring the call, I went back to reading the magazine one of the employees had given me.

Only a moment later did my phone ring again. This time it read _Dearka. _ His date was over?

"Athrun, they fixed my car!"

"It's been less than two hours." There was just no way.

"Yeah well, maybe they were captivated by my charm." When no comment was made he continued. "Whatever the reason, it's fixed! They want me to pick it up because their garage is full… or something like that."

"And you can't pick it up because you're on that all important date," I finished.

"Ever the clever one. But yeah, so can you pick it up?"

I let out a sigh. "Just think about what you just said." Dearka was quiet, obviously not following the conversation. "I'm in a café." Still nothing. "Without a car, remember?"

My patience was thinning.

"Oh, that." Dearka's response was too smooth and I knew what he said next wouldn't sit well with me. "That rep Meer called and said she could pick you up."

_Seriously?_

"And you said no." It was a statement, not a question.

"I tried. I really did, but she's a persistent one," Dearka paused to let out a nervous laugh. "Finally I just told her to call you and figure out the details."

"You gave her my _number_!" My outburst caught the attention of those around me, but that was the least of my concerns. "Are you insane?"

"Oh come on, it's a nice gesture on her part, don't you think?"

"No—"

"Someone has to pick up my car!" he complained.

"I couldn't care less about your car!" This was no exaggeration.

"Well then you're going to be stuck at that café for a couple days."

Was he _threatening _me?

"Dearka." My tone was low and dark.

"That brings me to my other piece of news. Miriallia wants to visit her parents."

"Huh?" Some of my anger had subsided.

"And I'm a nice guy, so I agreed. But her parents live eight hours away. So it's not possible for me to go up there, let her spend some quality time with the 'rents and then get back within a couple hours."

And the anger was back.

"Elsman, you are unbelievable!" I slammed by fist down onto the table for emphasis, even though he couldn't see it.

He must have heard it. "Whoa, calm down. Look at the bright side, you're not completely abandoned."

He needed to be strangled. "Where is this girl of yours? Give her the phone," I demanded.

"Heck no!" He sounded distracted for a second. "Ack, she's coming. Good luck with my car. We'll trade when I get back. Cya!"

The line went cold. My fist was trembling.

"Excuse me."

"What?" My head snapped up to whoever was interrupting my seething. My eyes locked onto a pair of golden orbs. I watched as the girl's wary glance morphed into a piercing glare.

"Don't '_what'_ me!" she snapped. "You're acting like a one-man soap opera! Do you know where you are? If you have a problem deal with it somewhere else!"

Her response was enough to strike a chord of realization. Had I really just had that entire 'conversation' in the middle of this café? One glance around the room was enough confirmation. I really should stop hanging out with Yzak.

"Sorry," I mumbled in embarrassment.

She let out a sigh and I looked back to see that her glare had dropped. I felt like I had to explain, but she spoke first.

"The manager was afraid you'd scare away the customers so she made one of us come over," she explained, running a hand through her rather messy hair. "Honestly, it was kind of entertaining to watch you from the counter," she attempted to hide her amusement.

"You work here?" Yes, it was a dumb question, but I was still recovering from my rage. By her expression she thought it was pretty ridiculous too. "You're not wearing the regular uniform," I pointed out, in an attempt to redeem myself.

She sneered and placed her hands on her hips. "I wouldn't be caught dead in one of _those._"

"Not a fan of skirts?" That's what she must have been referring to since she wore the café blazer with a pair of slacks.

"I'm here to work not be gawked at," she replied bluntly, turning back to the counter for a brief second. "Though we're not the ones getting all the attention today."

I followed her gaze and saw that the employees were stealing glances at me, whispering and giggling.

"If one of them had come over, well, never mind." She shook her head, as though she were trying to erase whatever thought she had.

"I'm really sorry about the disturbance."

She shrugged. "Everyone has those days..."

"Athrun," I filled in.

She nodded. "But you seem like the kind of guy who keeps it all bottled up. Maybe that's why you exploded," she suggested.

I let out a small laugh. "That might be it."

We remained silent for a couple moments.

"You can tell me about it," she offered. "If you want, that is," she quickly added.

"I'd like that." I smiled and motioned to the seat in front of me. "But you won't get in trouble, right? It's bad enough I caused a commotion. No need to get you fired too."

"Nah, my shift's over now anyway." She grinned, taking a seat across from me.

_She has nice teeth._

My phone rang before I had a chance to begin. One glance told me it was the same unknown number that appeared earlier; more than likely the employee from the auto-center. I shook my head and looked up to see that the girl was looking at me expectantly. I took in a deep breath, wondering where to start.

"So I have this friend named Dearka—"

"He sounds like an idiot."

That caught me off guard, and she seemed surprised at her own remark as well, as she placed both her hands over her mouth. She was about to apologize, but my exuberant laugh cut her off.

"You're a good judge of character." She smiled at the compliment.

_Really nice teeth. _

**/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**

"And that's why I'm stranded here." I leaned back against the chair once my tale had ended. She had been listening intently, her chin resting in the palm of her hand.

"That does suck," she commented.

I gave her a lopsided smile. She straightened her posture as an expression of deep thought settled on her face.

"I mean, I guess I can't blame that auto-rep or the girls here. You do have a pretty face." She was so engrossed in thought she hadn't realized what she said.

"Thank you."

"For what?" She really hadn't caught on.

"You think I'm good looking."

Hey eyes widened and a tint of pink spread across her cheek. "N-no!"

My smiled broadened and she pushed herself back against her chair defensively as she turned to look out the window. She certainly was fun to tease. I would have said something else, but she interrupted.

"I can take you," she blurted.

It took a moment to register. "Really?"

"It's not like I have anything to do now. But it's probably not any different than that girl coming and picking you up. So maybe you should just call her. She'd probably show up in no time. And then during the drive you might find out you're actually soul mates. So maybe it's best if you just go with—"

"I would appreciate if you could give me a ride there."

She turned to look at me, a bright smile in place. "Ok then, let's go! I'm so glad I get to drive!" She jumped up from her seat and ran back behind the counter, probably to gather her things.

Not once did I question her enthusiasm.

******/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**  


As we entered the parking lot I looked between the cars, trying to figure out which was hers. She didn't seem like the type to drive a girly, hot pink car—but then again, not many normal people do.

"Athrun, where are you going?" Apparently she was headed towards a different parking lot. Why wouldn't her car be in the lot designated for the café? She seemed to have read my mind. "It's easier to park here so we can keep spots open for customers," she said with a small laugh. I nodded and followed her.

A black convertible. Not too flashy, but not too ordinary either. It suited her.

"Are you just going to stare at it?" She had tossed her bag onto the back seat and was already in the driver's seat, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel.

"No need to be so anxious," I teased.

"I'm not!" She seemed defensive. I shrugged as I got in. Once she saw me settled in she took a deep breath. "I'm checking my mirrors now."

"Okay?"

She ignored me and pulled the gear. Instead of reversing we jerked forward and I instinctively grabbed onto the door handle.

She let out a small laugh. "Sorry, I meant to hit 'reverse'. You have your seatbelt on, right?" I nodded.

******/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**  


"How long have you worked at—"

"Shh!" she hissed. "I'm concentrating on the road," she clarified when she noticed I was staring at her.

"I was just—"

"Do you _want _to get there in one piece?"

The confusion never left my expression, but instead of trying to start up a conversation again, I decided to turn my attention to the traffic ahead. The road was fairly empty so there really wasn't anything to worry about. We'd be at the dealership in no time. The traffic light a couple yards away switched to yellow.

The car was still accelerating.

"It's yellow."

She gave no indication of slowing down. I looked over at her. Her foot was still pressing on the accelerator.

"It's yellow," I repeated.

This time she turned to glare at me. Did I have to say it again? I opened my mouth, but she cut me off.

"I heard you the first time," she snapped, shifting her eyes back to the road.

I was at a loss. The signal was fast approaching. We'd never make it in time. It would turn red. There was a monster truck on the perpendicular street. We'd get into a fatal crash. What was she thinking!

"Y-yo—n—staaa!" I wasn't even sure what I was trying to say. It came out as a jumbled cry. From the corner of my eye I saw her own eyes widen. Had she just realized the inescapable situation? At least she'd feel guilty during ours last moments of life.

And then she hit the accelerator _harder_. And we zoomed past the light just as it switched to red.

Neither of us said anything for the next couple minutes.

She refused to look at me and I was too busy waiting for my parasympathetic nervous system to kick in. Never had anyone done something so reckless. Yes, Dearka took chances, but not to that extent. I had never feared for my life when driving with him. The thick silence surrounding us had to be broken. But I couldn't say anything that would startle her any further.

"Erm, what's your name?" As stupid as it sounds, I hadn't even asked her and she never offered.

She blinked twice before answering. "Cagalli." And then she bit her lower lip. "Y-you're not going to report me, are you?"

I let out a chuckle, but she was holding her breath. "No. But, I'll admit, that had to be one of the most frightening experiences I've encountered. What exactly does a yellow light mean to you?"

"Speed up," she answered honestly. I couldn't help the disapproving look I gave her. "It's what everyone else does," she justified.

"That doesn't make it okay!"

She puffed her cheeks. It was cute, but I was not about to say that out loud. Not right after she took 5 years off my life.

I almost let out a sigh of relief when the next signal turned red before we had even reached it. I turned to Cagalli, to make sure she hadn't noticed my satisfaction. She was too busy clenching the steering wheel. It may have been a good idea to keep silent, but I felt bad seeing her so distressed.

"There's no need to be so tense."

"I'm not tense!" Her high pitch tone said otherwise.

"Your knuckles are white," I pointed out.

She immediately loosened her grip and glared at me. "Shut up."

I sighed. "Everyone makes mistakes. Just learn from it."

"I can't! If he ever found out I'd—" She froze midsentence.

He? Now that got me interested. Who was she talking about? Her dad? A boyfriend? Wait, why did it matter? I shook my head and looked straight ahead.

"We're going to turn left at the next light." She nodded.

As we approached the intersection the vehicle slowed to a stop. We had run into several red lights and Cagalli seemed to be getting annoyed. Clearly, she wasn't a very patient person. Oh well.

Then she did the unthinkable.

We zoomed forward and she spun the wheel as we turned the curb. The blaring horn from the car across from us was drowned out by the pounding in my head.

"Jeez, what's that guy's deal?" Cagalli muttered as we continued down the road.

I was too shocked to respond. But I had to say something.

"What the hell!"

She glanced and glared at me from the corner of her eye. "Now why're you yelling at me?"

"It was a freakin' red light!" I was starting to doubt this woman's sanity.

Her eyebrows knitted together. "So?"

Subconsciously, I clenched my fists. "Red light!" I repeated.

"What's the big deal? It's fine to make a left turn at a red light," she replied calmly.

I could feel nails digging into the palm of my hand. "Right turn! Right turn on red. Not left! Are you insane?"

She appeared in deep thought as she pursued her lips together. "Same difference, no?"

"No, it's really not. Do you have a death wish or something?" I couldn't help myself from asking.

She ignored me.

"My bad."

**/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**

Ten minutes passed. She said nothing. I said nothing. It was boring, but at least my life wasn't in danger. Suddenly her phone rang and she sprang up in her seat, momentarily swerving the car. Her eyes were wide with worry.

"Do you want me to get that?" I shifted in my seat and reached towards her purse in the backseat.

"No! You can't." She grabbed my wrist in panic. Her eyes were focused on me instead of the road, but for some reason I couldn't reprimand her. And then she released my wrist. "Actually, yes, get it."

Well that wasn't confusing at all.

Rather than say anything, I shuffled through her bag in an attempt to find the phone. It stopped ringing, but two seconds later it started again. Jeez, where was it? Her purse was like a black hole. The phone rang for the third time.

"What's wrong with you!" she exclaimed. "Kira's going to kill me."

I turned, only to find her face barely an inch away from mine. "Just gimme the phone," she demanded.

I was at a loss for words. Her eyes were captivating, even with that trademark glare. And her hair smelt nice. Like strawberries. Wait. She was sifting through her bag. Which was in the backseat. Which meant she wasn't watching the road.

"Got it." She grinned triumphantly.

"C-cagalli!" I jerked up, knocking her forehead with the back of my skull. The phone dropped from her hand and she cursed out loud.

"Damn it, Athrun, that hurt!" She rubbed the sore spot.

I didn't even respond. I just grabbed her shoulder and spun her back around.

"I need to answer the phone!" she argued, struggling against my arm which was pinning her to the seat.

"You _need _to not kill us!"

"He's going to be super upset if I don't answer!" she tried to reason.

There it was again. The mysterious man. She had called him by his name earlier, so it couldn't have been her father. The idea of it being her boyfriend didn't settle well with me. Was her boyfriend wondering where she was? Was he one of those crazy possessive guys who kept tabs on every little thing his girlfriend did? What would he do if he found out Cagalli was with me? She had looked so frightened when the phone rang. Wait, was she in an abusive relationship? I could have sworn she would be the abusive one, but looks can be deceiving. I was so engrossed in thought that I didn't hear her call my name. Only when she pinched me did I yelp and look at her.

"You can move your hand," she said through clenched teeth. We had arrived at another infamous stoplight.

I dropped my gaze to see that my arm was outstretched across her chest. My cheeks warmed up as I quickly retracted my arm.

"I-I was trying to make you focus on the road."

She was about to retort, but a car horn interrupted. Cagalli looked past me to a car that pulled up beside us.

"Hey handsome." A girl winked before letting out a soft purr. The girl next to her giggled.

I was dumbfounded and looked to Cagalli, but her eyes were filled with amusement.

"Why are you hanging out with that loser?" And at once I saw a spark of fire appear in my companion's eyes.

"Is that even a girl? It looks like a boy," the other girl commented, letting out a dry laugh.

Did Cagalli just growl? I swear she did. And then a sweet smile crossed her features. It was frightening.

"Just ignore them," I advised.

"You may think I'm unattractive, but you've got an appalling personality. And that's so much uglier," Cagalli replied calmly. The light turned green. "Oh, and if I ever need your opinion, I'll beat it out of you."

There was nothing but a cloud of smoke left.

**/ . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . / . /**

"See, I told you I'd get you here safe and sound," Cagalli said enthusiastically as we pulled into the auto center parking lot.

"I'm not sure I completely agree with that statement," I replied.

"Quit complaining, I got you here so be thankful," she snapped as she unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her purse.

"I'm quite thankful," I admitted, stepping out of the car.

The auto representative from that morning was quick to greet me. "We've been expecting you, Athrun!"

Since when did she know my name? I bet Dearka had something to do with it. Before I could react, the woman had latched onto my arm. Talk about unprofessional.

Cagalli cleared her throat, getting Meer's attention. She looked Cagalli up and down before loosening her grip on my arm.

"Hi, I'm Athrun's girlfriend." She extended her hand for a shake. I gave her a look of disbelief. The representative's hand fell completely.

"Oh." She turned and walked back to the counter. "We fixed Mr. Elsman's car. I'll have someone bring it out back immediately."

I watched her retreating figure before turning back to the blonde beside me.

"Sorry about that." She rested a hand on the back of her head in slight embarrassment. "It's just that girls like that irk me. She's even more annoying than you let on. And I guess I'm still a little pissed about that other incident." She let out a nervous laugh.

Before I could say a word, her phone rang once again. She jumped slightly and shuffled through her bag, pulling out that dreaded device.

"Hi Kira," she said slowly. "Y-you're back? You weren't supposed to be back for a while. N-no, of course not. Well you see, it was an emergency. I had to help someone. Y-yeah, it's a guy. He's really nice though! What do you mean? No, of course not, stupid!"

Her conversation was a mix of fear and anger. Either way, I was developing a deep hatred for this Kira kid.

"You're such a—" the phone was swiftly swiped from her grasp. She blinked in confusion and turned to me, but I had already started speaking into the receiver.

"This is Athrun. I don't appreciate you messing with my girl. She's through with you. Don't call her again." And with that I snapped the phone shut and handed it back to her.

She looked at me in astonishment. I'm not sure why, since it's basically the same thing she did for me a couple minutes ago. I was expecting a thank you, but if there's one thing I've learned about Cagalli, it's that she never goes by the script.

"You idiot!"

Still, I wasn't expecting that.

"What were you thinking? He's going to murder me!"

"Cagalli, listen to me. If you need a friend to help you get through a difficult relationship I'm here for you."

"A difficult relationship!" Her voice held traces of fury and hysterics. "Are you planning on moving in with us and protecting me from this wrath! You're completely insane!"

They were living together? This made things more complicated, but I was determined to help her.

"We've only spent a couple hours together, but I've gotten to know you pretty well. And this Kira guy isn't the right one for you. I know it."

"What the hell? You think I'm dating Kira?" Now her voice was a mix of hysterics and disgust. "He's my freakin' brother, you moron!"

_Damn._

"Well, I guess it's going to be a little awkward explaining everything then, isn't it?" I replied lamely.

She was about to shout some more, but a male sales representative appeared beside us.

"Sorry to interrupt, but are you Mr. Zala?" I nodded. "I'm sorry to say this sir, but we seem to have missed a very large scrape on the side of Mr. Elsman's car. We're not sure how it happened because we inspected everything thoroughly. We would like to repair this free of charge, but it will take another day. Is that all right?" I nodded, confusion settling on my face. He thanked me before walking away.

"A large scrape?"

"Seems like I really pissed off that pink-haired sales rep," Cagalli scoffed. I was beyond bewildered and she sighed. "I bet that girl was even more annoyed at the thought of someone as good looking at you dating something like me."

That set off a red flag.

"Cagalli, what are you talking about?"

"I'm saying that pink haired chick scratched the car out of—"

"No, not that." Now she was confused. "Why are you implying that you're unattractive?" She opened her mouth to retort, but I quickly silenced her by continuing. "You're one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met. And I'm not just talking about physical features." Her cheeks turned pink, but I wasn't done. "From these past couple hours I've realized you're a fun-loving, hot tempered, intelligent girl. Though you have some driving issues." She frowned at that comment and I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"It's not about dating the prettiest girl; it's about finding someone that makes my world beautiful."

"Please tell me got that from a movie."

"Are you seriously ruining this romantic moment?"

Cagalli shrugged. "I can't help it. I'm not really one for romance. But I can tell you this, you're a pretty nifty guy yourself, Athrun." I gave her a shy smile. "And I'm sorry I almost ended your life today—in more ways than one," she added quickly.

"No big deal." I dismissed it with a wave. "Do you want to get coffee? Maybe then we can have a nice chat without me worrying about how my life may tragically end within the next few moments."

"Sure, but on one condition." There was a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Anything."

"I'm driving."

* * *

**Meisha:**

It's very easy for me to visualize Cagalli as a reckless driver.  
Sorry to any Meer fans... I tried to make her act... Meer-like.

Please review!


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